Islands in the Sky
by MiddleoftheOcean
Summary: Tess goes home to Louisiana for Christmas. Oliver, Lois and Clark decide to follow.
1. Unexpected Visit

"Hi, I'm here, sorry I'm late, my flight was delayed," Tess Mercer hollered, closing the front door behind her and dropping down her bag. "Mama?" she called, hearing silence in return. She walked through to the kitchen and smiled as she stopped on the porch. Sarah Mercer was out in the garden, dead heading the fading roses that were in neat rows at the perimeter of the back porch, a tall glass of what she assumed was ginger beer and bourbon was on the table. Tess took a sip – yep, definitely bourbon, and actually quite nice.

"Tess!" Sarah exclaimed when she saw her titian haired daughter watching her. She shed her gloves and ascended the steps. "How are you? Good flight?"

Tess was a little taken aback by her mother's cheerfulness. She swallowed and nodded, letting herself be hugged by the strawberry blond. Their relationship was strained, awkward. Tess had learned to stand on her own a long time ago. She'd had to. Tess was ten when Sarah Mercer walked out on her and her father, and she only returned the year before she was accepted into Harvard. Despite the distant years, she felt a sense of duty and a fervent desire to be loved by the woman. She imagined every child probably felt the very same thing.

"It was uneventful. Merry Christmas." Tess said as she extracted herself from her mother's arms. "Mama, you've really fixed the place up." She commented on the tidy garden that looked out to the bayou, complete with its own jetty extending into the water. She remembered long childhood summers swimming and running wild with no shoes on.

Sarah nodded. "Come inside, dear, I'll make you a drink."

Tess nodded, following back into the house. It was so different now. With her husband gone, Sarah had been free to clean the house, repaint and decorate. It was lovely now. Not to Tess' taste, but it was still pleasant. "Watcha havin' hun? Ramos Gin Fizz or Bourbon Milk Punch?"

Tess contemplated. She had vague memories of Bourbon Milk Punches being used in her childhood to knock her out after nightmares or when she couldn't sleep for storms, parties or sugar highs. "Nah I'll have a Vieux Carré, thanks." She chose, examining the collection of bottles. She noted that her Louisiana accent was already creeping back over her speech pattern.

"Cheers." They clinked glasses and drank in silence. _Mama, why did you leave me?_ Tess wanted to ask but in the time it took to sum up the courage to ask, she was interrupted by the door knocker rapping against wood. She swivelled to look to the front door, "are we expecting anyone?" Sarah shook her head.

Tess put her drink down and went to answer the door, gasping in surprise when she saw three people standing on her doorstep; Oliver Queen, Lois Lane. and Clark Kent -who was holding a ham.

"Hi Mercy," Oliver said, giving her a dashing love-me-give-me-what-I-want smile.

Tess glanced briefly towards the kitchen and then back at the uninvited guests. "What the hell are you three doing here?"

"Seriously, Tess, you live in the hardest-to-find-house ever! We got lost four times and that was just coming up the driveway." Lois exclaimed dramatically, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder.

"No, really. What the hell are you doing here?" Tess repeated in a whisper.

Clark stepped forward, pressing the bag of ham into Tess' hands. "Well, we decided it wasn't fair for you to be stuck by yourself for Christmas. We've decided to join you. And I got you a ham."

"Merry Christmas!" Oliver kissed her cheek as he stepped past her. The place where his lips hit her skin flared with sparkles.

Tess closed her eyes briefly to avoid them seeing her response to his touch, then opened them again and gave a scolding glare to her friends. They knew she wasn't spending Christmas alone. They were all just so nosy that they followed her home for Christmas when the Kent family Christmas plans fell through.

"Tess? Who's at the door?" Sarah asked as she appeared behind Tess.

"Hi Mrs. Mercer," said Clark. "I bought a ham."

Sarah gave a puzzled expression that mirrored Tess' perfectly. "Well, isn't that lovely? Thank you. And please, come in. Tess just arrived herself, so I didn't know we were expecting company."

"Well, Tess invited us," Lois said.

"I didn't, actually," Tess countered.

Lois looked meaningfully at the red head. "Come on, it's Christmas, Tess."

"My mother always said it was rude to show up empty handed. I thought since you'd be having extra for Christmas, we should bring food. We have plenty."

Tess rolled her eyes slightly at Clark who was still going on about the damned ham.

"Yeah, I practically bought out Macy's entire stock of festive hampers," said Oliver with a smile. He was clearly finding the bright side in the situation.

"And you didn't see the irony of showing up, unannounced and uninvited to Christmas at my house. With my mother?" she asked Clark, her voice reaching the deadly tones that usually came into play before she fired or murdered someone.

Sarah put her hand on Tess' arm. "It's fine, baby girl. It's Christmas after all." Sarah smiled at Lois, who grinned back.

Tess took a deep breath. "You know, I'm going to call you all a cab."

"We have a car."

"You have a car?! Good, get in it!"

"Tess, why don' cha eva tell me how gorgeous your friends are? I'm Sarah," she said, grinning at Clark. "…and bless my soul, Oliver darling, I haven't seen you in years!" she exclaimed, enveloping Oliver in a warm hug.

Tess downed another drink as Oliver kissed the back of Sarah's hand, saying something corny about Sarah and Tess still looking more like sisters than mother and daughter.

"Seriously, what's with the accent? You've never had an accent in Smallville," Lois asked, questioning Tess's southern inflection on her words.

Oliver stepped forward, preventing the redhead from drawling out an insult by slinging an arm around her shoulders and holding her there mostly by sheer force. "Yeah, she lost it years ago when she moved to Boston for college. It only comes out a little bit when she's at home, or when she's had a little too much to drink."

"Oh." Lois smiled. "Cool."

Tess wrenched herself out of Oliver's grip, took a deep breath and motioned with her arms, as if herding the lot of them together and pushing them towards a room off the hallway. "Okay. You know what. I'll play along." She said, closing the door behind her. The group looked around.

"Wow, is this your room?" Lois asked, taking in the teenage décor of posters of photographs wedged into the mirror between frame and glass.

"So since it's Christmas, I'll be kind and let you all stay, but you have to chip in and help with the preparations. You _may not_ mention Luthorcorp, Watchtower or what I did with the sweater she sent me last year, _comprende_?"

"Yes, Tess." They echoed dutifully.

"Good. Now sit there and shut up while I go talk to my mother. Maybe this will all be a horrible dream and I'll wake up and find I haven't left Metropolis yet." And she slammed the door with force.

Outside in the corridor, Tess shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. She wouldn't have minded if it had been just Oliver who had shown up, though she's never tell him that. She would have played up her annoyance at his presence for the fun of winding him up a bit, but she would have loved to spend time with him. There was still so much unfinished business between them.

She heard a burst of laughter from behind her closed bedroom door and looked at it with undisguised longing. She wished she could be a part of their friendship flawlessly, not her current awkward, unappreciated and suspicious lingering on the outskirts. She hated Oliver's disappointment, Clark's tentative mistrust and Lois' contempt. She even hated Chloe Sullivan for disappearing in that moment and lumping all the responsibility and headaches onto her.

"Tess?" she heard her mother call and pushed herself back into the real world, trying to dispel all the darkness out of her heart. "Coming mama."

She found Sarah in the kitchen. "Honey, I need some help. We have three days 'til Christmas and I need to get the food prepared so that we'll have an easier time."

Tess nodded. "I'm sorry about them. I don't even know how they got our address. I bet you ten bucks it was all Oliver's evil plan." She glared darkly at the toaster.

"Oliver? Oh he's so cute, Tess. Why the hell did you ever leave him?"

Tess coughed. "Why did I leave him? Why did _I _leave _him_?" she started laughing maniacally. "You have no idea how happy I am now." She deadpanned. "We were… a long time ago."

"Well, I think you were silly to let him go. Is he single? I'll put the mistletoe over the back door, alright, you remember that?" she winked and gave Tess' a sharp rap on her hip as she passed her.

"Mother, you're impossible." Tess muttered. "You really have no idea, do you, what my life is like?"

Sarah turned and looked back at her daughter. "No. But you could talk me, honey."

Tess sniffed and shook her head, "You wouldn't understand. You wouldn't care. You didn't care when I was growing up so why would now be any different." She didn't give Sarah a chance to counter her as she continued talking, "Anyway. I'll go get our guests to help with dinner. We'll do it, you can rest. And then I'll sort out where everyone can sleep."

Tess stepped past her and returned to her bedroom, but not before she got a flash of the hurt in Sarah Mercer's green eyes and felt guilty in response.

_TBC!_


	2. Yesterdays and Tomorrow

"Hey. You are very talented!" Lois smiled as Tess walked into her room. She was holding up some of Tess' sketches and watercolours, and the redhead took them off her and shoved them out of sight under the bed.

"Would you guys mind helping prep dinner for tonight and tomorrow? I need some extra hands."

"Yeah of course, Tess." They responded enthusiastically.

"So where is everyone sleeping?" Lois asked, falling into step beside Tess. The two men went ahead and started bringing the hampers and presents in from the car. "And look, Tess, I know you and I don't always get to be best friends, but I'm really hoping this can… you know, be a good time to get to know each other." Lois' eyes looked honest and hopeful. Tess bit her lip and nodded a little, trying to be diplomatic and smile her '_I'm screaming at you in my head_' smile.

"Sure Lois. Merry Christmas, even if you did gate crash my holiday." She had a sudden horrible thought, "Who the hell is looking after Watchtower?"

"Relax. John Jones is on it, Carter's on patrol and Star Girl is as well. It's all under control." Lois reassured her.

Tess nodded again, not exactly calmed by the news. "Thanks. Well, I was planning to have my own room, so you and Clark can have the guest room; I'll just get you some linen and stuff."

"And where am I sleeping?" Oliver asked, setting several baskets of gourmet food down on the dining table.

Tess pinned him with fiery green eyes and said, her voice dripping with irony, "Oh you're sleeping on the couch!" and Lois laughed at him, taking the hamper from his hands and following Tess into the kitchen. The redhead was already unwrapping the packaging on one hamper and taking stock of the contents. "Well, this is nice. I'm guessing you selected this one because it's for _chocolate lovers_?"

"Yeah." Lois smiled, "Here, Quince paste. Apparently it's nice on ham." Tess ran a distracted hand through her hair, it dazzled in the light as she took the jar from Lois. "I uh… I'm sorry if this is an added stress."

Tess looked up sharply, and then looked away. "I was expecting to have a nice quiet Christmas. My mother and I… we've been a bit estranged really, I haven't seen her for a very long time and we've only just started doing this Christmas thing for the past few years after my father died. It's… not the best time of the year for me." She sighed, "But I will be fine. You guys are… welcome… ish. I apologise for being unwelcoming before."

Lois started laughing, then sobered. "We'll be no trouble. You won't even notice we're here."

Tess rolled her eyes, "Yes I will," she mused, then returned to opening the hampers.

"Oh God, I saw this woman while we were shopping with the most gorgeous Chanel handbag." Lois gushed, trying to force some conversation between her and Tess as they opened the hampers. Tess was sorting space in the refrigerator out and took a moment to respond.

"Yes, they have some lovely styles."

"Do you have Chanel?"

"…Yes… a few…" she said slowly, biting her lip.

Lois sighed. "I always wanted a Chanel bag. My mother loved Chanel."

Tess smiled sadly, sympathising with Lois's loss. "What was she like?"

A cloud passed over Lois' face. "I don't really know. She died when I was six. I remember thinking that she would come back. For about two years I kept telling myself she had just stepped out, on a business trip or something because my dad left her clothes hanging up, her perfume on the dresser. I waited for her to come home at night. I got angry when she didn't." Tess listened patiently, watching Lois keep a strong front as she spoke about her mother. "And the next day I put all of her dresses in boxes and her perfumes and handbags and… the General was so angry at me for what I'd done. He couldn't even speak."

"You were just trying to let her go. I get that."

Lois gently put her hand over Tess' and strengthened it when she didn't flinch or pull away. "I'm not saying this to demean what you've gone through, Tess. I just want you to know that you still have your mother, whatever the history or disappointments. I'm not telling you what to do one or the other, I just want you to remember that."

_Clark must've really insisted that she reach out to me_, Tess thought.

She didn't respond, and an awkward silence followed. Tess acknowledged Lois' statement without saying a word. Eventually, Tess broke the silence. "I think we could do with coffee."

"Yes! That sounds like a great idea. Coffee coffee coffee."

The two women worked efficiently throughout the afternoon to organise the menu while the boys chopped up vegetables and prepared the meat, discussing something that Tess picked up as Green Arrow and Red Blue Blur related. She left them to it, answering Lois' interrogation about her childhood in as vague and general statements as she could. Eventually though they had everything unpacked and organised and Tess let the three add their presents to the small pile under the tree. She smiled, unable to stop the childish thrill when she saw there were gift tags with her name on them.

After dinner, the boys retreated to the back lounge room with beer, and Sarah said she wanted to rest. Tess looked at Lois and shrugged, "Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

"Okay." Lois nodded and Tess opened up the DVD draw, sitting in front of the television cabinet. Tess chose a few titles from the selection.

"What about Sex and the City? It's one of my favourites." Tess grinned, holding up the case for the first movie.

"Yeah, okay." Lois agreed and the red head popped the disc in. "I wasn't much of a fan. I'll still watch it, don't worry, I'm just not avidly in love with it."

"I am. I have the entire series." She said, as she came to sit beside Lois on the sofa. "When I was at Harvard, Megan and I used to watch it because it was coming out on TV and she loved it."

"Who is Megan?" Lois asked as Carrie Bradshaw started narrating the film's opening credits.

Tess suddenly went pale. "You were in my room; she's the girl in all the photographs. She was my best friend. She died, the day I met Oliver."

Lois reached out and did something she had never done before. She hugged Tess. It was quick but when the redhead pulled back, she smiled and squeezed Lois' hand. They watched the movie in silence. When it was finished and the four women found their happy and fashionable ending, Lois stretched, yawned and stated that she was off to bed.

"Goodnight, Lois." Tess smiled, not moving from the couch. "I think I'll stay up a bit longer." She explained at Lois' questioning gaze.

She nodded, "Night, Tess."

Tess sighed and turned off the television, opening the back door and stepping out into the cool night air. She inhaled the deep scent of the South. She didn't want to admit it, but she was home. It was where she grew up and no matter how much she resented and feared it; it was a part of her very being.

She turned when she sensed a presence behind her and saw her mother standing in the doorway. She offered a smile. "I feel like I'm sixteen and just been caught sneaking back into my room through the window at five am."

Sarah opened the back door and stepped out to join Tess. She cupped her chin in her soft hand. "You get more beautiful every time I look at you." she said and Tess blushed, even though the darkness hid it. She looked down and then back up.

"Do you really think that, mama?" she asked.

"I do. You always were the prettiest girl in Lake Charles." Tess withdrew from her and walked further into the garden. "What now?" Sarah sighed wearily, following Tess and catching up with her when she stopped on the end of the jetty. The dark water reflected the moon completely and it was suddenly very quiet. "Everything with you is this overly dramatic, everything is such a burdensome, what-are-you-all-doing-to-me, somebody-get-me-a-drink nightmare!"

Tess screamed with derisive laughter. "Everything with _me!_" she cackled. "You think that a few days at Christmas each year and telling me I'm pretty now is going to make up for everything you and that man did to me!?"

"If I could have redone the past twenty years you know I would have stayed with you."

"You were never there, mama!" she all but shouted, her voice sharp across the flat water. "You walked out, for so many years. I _needed_ my mom and you were _never_ there."

Sarah bit her lip in pain, "Tess, I wanted to be. There were times when I would have given anything, anything to come back."

"Except you didn't."

"I don't expect you to understand."

"I understand you left me! You never wanted me!"

"That's not true, you watch your tone young lady!" Sarah snapped. She sighed and her hand stretched towards Tess, who gazed back coldly. She dropped her hand. "I'm sorry, Tess. I always loved you. I tried to teach you some important lessons. About being strong and keeping your chin up and your skirt down."

"It wasn't enough." Tess pouted, her eyes brimming with tears.

"No. I know it wasn't." She whispered, turning away from Tess and walking back up the jetty. In the moonlight Sarah found Oliver by the shore. "It's awful late for you to still be up," she said resignedly, stopping beside him.

"Were you talking to Tess?" he asked, looking at the slim, dark figure silhouetted against the night.

Sarah nodded and patted his arm, "I'm going to bed."

Oliver heard Sarah's footsteps disappearing towards the house as he stepped onto the boardwalk. Tess was a tight bundle of nerves when he reached her side, her face incredible in the white glow.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he smiled. Tess tilted her head to look at him. She gave him a tiny, pale twitch of her lips and shook her head. "Mind if I talk then?"

"Would anything I say stop you?" she questioned in the tone of their usual light banter. "Why are you here, Oliver? Why did you have to bring Clark and Lois?"

Oliver tried to put his hand on her arm but she withdrew slightly and he let it go. "I thought it would be fun. And since when do you care what they think?"

"I care when it's you." she whispered. "I care what _you_ think of me." She looked up and then away sharply at the expression in his eyes. "And I care when Lois is loading up her guns with fresh ammunition."

Oliver was about to defend Lois when Tess' expression made him shut up. "I'm sorry, then." He offered instead. "You said that you don't like being home at Christmas, or alone at Christmas and we thought we would join you for fun and provide a bit of backup." Tess smiled a little, then gave in and looked up at him. "You don't have to keep fighting everything alone, Mercy."

"I hate it when you do this to me." She whispered, her breath catching. Oliver stepped closer.

"Do what?"

She motioned at the air between them, "This. Show up and be all suave. Be just what I need. Even if I don't want to admit it."

Oliver smiled, leaning closer, "I make a special effort when it's you."

He kissed her, softly at first, as if testing how quickly she was going to jump. When she didn't move he pressed his mouth harder against hers, insistently, making her stand on her toes and grip his shoulders to match him. She pulled back, only for a moment before she kissed him again. His hands went to her waist, lifting her up off her feet and then setting her back down when she squealed softly against his mouth. "Oliver."

"Yep?"

She isn't sure what she wanted to say. There's been so much between them, their collective mistakes and mutual resistance to admitting any unresolved feelings between them. "I'm really glad you came," she tells him. It's not untruthful.

"Your mother loves you, Tess." He said. She dropped her gaze to the dark water behind his shoulder and Oliver tipped her chin up so she would look at him. "What I mean, is that she's as nervous as you are. She's upset that she hurt you and she's trying. She just doesn't know how and you are…"

"Difficult?" she interrupted.

"Well let's just say not helpful." He amended. "She loves you. And she's had her demons too."

"When did you get so insightful?" she asked, turning away to look out over the water.

He shrugged, cupping her chin in his hand and tilting her face up for another kiss. He kissed down her throat, loving the soft sound she made as he nipped her skin, tasting salt and the faint burn of her perfume. Her hands gingerly undid his shirt buttons, undressing him, and undressing herself until they both stood naked on the jetty. Her kisses went to his chest and his hands grasped her waist. He pulled her up towards him, leaning down to catch another kiss.

She pulled away, leaving his lips still burning for hers. He followed her as she slipped into the water. He swam beside her, her legs around his hips, everything burning hot against the cool water. Tess sighed; he couldn't get over how incredible it felt to hold her in his arms after so many years apart. She arched back, her hair floating on the surface of the water. Oliver gathered her up and kissed her, groaning into her mouth.

_TBC!_


	3. We Lose Ourselves at Night

How much time had passed? They weren't certain. It was getting colder and Tess had been resting her forehead against Oliver's shoulder.

"Are there alligators in this water?" he asked.

Tess drew back and said casually, "Probably." And on a whim, dragged her foot ever so lightly along Oliver's calf. He yelped, half leaping out of the water.

"Don't do that!" he scolded, but she just giggled.

They raced back to the shore, laughing and collapsed on the bank, inhaling the scent of earth and the trees and the clear water.

"Oh God, my clothes…" Tess moaned, sitting up but making no move to hide herself from him.

"I love you." Oliver said.

"I know you do." Tess answered after a long minute of silence. She kissed him, gently, sadly, and stood up, walking away. Oliver watched her, bright against the darkness as she gathered up her clothes from the boardwalk and redressed. He followed then, pulled his clothes back onto his wet body and followed her at a distance.

"Tess." He called softly as they closed the back door behind them and stood awkwardly in the living room. Her green eyes were unreadable. He looked up. "Mistletoe." He pointed.

"Merry Christmas, Oliver."

"Merry Christmas, Mercy."

She kissed him again, or he kissed her, they couldn't tell who started it but it was the blind, desperate, uncontrolled need for contact with which they rushed into each other's arms. They kissed frantically. She pulled him as close to her as possible.

He rolled on top of her, trying frantically to soothe the ache that was tearing them both to shreds. "Come lay beside me." he whispered, helping her towards the sofa. She kept hold of his hand and lead him silently through the house to her bedroom.

"I didn't mean what I said," she whispered, as they shed their clothes again, letting the damp items hit the floor. She crawled in beside him, "I'm not really angry that you all arrived. I… I haven't had a Christmas with friends for so long and…" she smiled at him in the darkness even though he couldn't see it. "I'm glad you came."

"Talk to your mother in the morning, Tess," he said, hearing her draw a breath. "You just need to talk. And let go."

"She abandoned me."

"Maybe she wanted to protect you, from a worse pain."

Tess didn't reply.

She felt him wrap his arms tighter around her and loved the closeness between them, the blaze where her skin touched his. He pulled her beneath him, sinking his weight onto her body.

"They'll hear us," she whispered, not letting him kiss her.

"So?" was his reply, his hands going to places that made her vision blur. "I promise I'll be quiet. Can you?"

She started laughing and kissed him, arching her hips up as he slowly moved into her. The slowness of his movements, the illicitness of the act in the silent house made everything more exciting for Tess as Oliver teasingly clamped his wide hand over her mouth. She bit his palm, sucked his fingers into her mouth, feeling her blood get white hot as Oliver's hips jerked erratically against hers. Her own hand flew up to stifle his low groan as he shuddered, and she saw stars as her orgasm flooded her veins, her repetitive screams driving him wild even as he quieted them with his hand, joining her with his climax and collapsing on top of her.

Oliver loved the feel of her in his arms; it was like reclaiming a part of his own body that he hadn't known was missing.

He slept deeply, and in the morning she was gone.

_TBC!_

Notes: Works that inspired me included The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (both book and film), Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close by Jonathon Safran Foer, and the song they are all dancing to at the end is The Last Dance by Claire McGuire.


End file.
